Volume One, Chapter Thirteen: Health Is Wealth

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Shen Aodong stared silently at all these fine things, his mood heavy with worry.

From the quilt behind him, Shen Lingshuang’s faint voice sounded, “Brother, I want to drink malted milk…”

Shen Aodong sighed deeply inside but kept his face stern. “Consider these things as borrowed from you; I’ll definitely pay you back later!”

“Alright!” Gu Xianglin cheerfully hung the net bag on Shen Aodong’s arm, then turned to run back to his own home. “I’m going to get a chicken now and will bring it to your house shortly!”

Shen Aodong responded in a low voice, “…Okay.”

After Gu Xianglin walked away, Shen Lingshuang heard her brother mutter, “Useless!”

She knew he was probably scolding her, but she took it sweetly.

“Why be so capable anyway? If you’re capable, you can’t get malted milk. This is a treasure! I heard the production team’s supply store doesn’t even have it. I’ve never tasted it before! I’ll bring it back for Mom, sister-in-law, and little sister to try!”

Shen Aodong snorted coldly. “Counting the sweet potato incident, our family has already owed the Gu family twice. Have you thought about how we’ll repay them?”

Shen Lingshuang couldn’t help but laugh. “There’s plenty of time to repay the Gu family, I’m not worried about that!”

She laughed happily, but Shen Aodong’s face darkened further.

He felt that Shen Lingshuang had developed feelings she shouldn’t have!

But thinking carefully, his sister was only twelve this year; she shouldn’t be experiencing romantic feelings so early.

Moreover, though the Gu family was in the same production team, they were from different villages and had never really interacted before. Why were they suddenly so close?

Had he missed something?

As he was pondering, a neighbor pushing a cart passed by.

Seeing the large load on Shen Aodong’s back, the neighbor kindly offered, “Aodong, what are you carrying? Here, put it on the cart, I’ll take it home for you!”

“No, it’s my sister,” Shen Aodong said, half-smiling, half-exasperated. “If I put her on the cart, she’ll be jolted to tears.”

The neighbor sighed, “It’s Lingshuang, right? Isn’t she always pampered at home? Why is she sick again? She truly has the body of a lady but the fate of a servant!”

Shen Aodong smiled perfunctorily and didn’t reply.

But after the neighbor’s reminder, Shen Aodong suddenly understood why his sister favored Gu Xianglin so much.

Since childhood, Shen Lingshuang had been frail, often suffering headaches and fevers, and whenever she was ill, she liked to cry at night.

The nearby villagers all knew this and affectionately called her the “Night Cryer” or “Sickly One.”

Some adults were superstitious and even warned their children not to play with Shen Lingshuang to avoid catching her bad luck.

Because of this, Shen Lingshuang never had many friends.

Gu Xianglin, on the other hand, clearly wasn’t a talkative person.

This boy was sincere, and Lingshuang noticed that, so she regarded him as her first friend, right?

Thinking of this, Shen Aodong felt both moved and pained.

He adjusted the way he carried Shen Lingshuang on his back and quickened his pace home.

Li Lanfang and the others had heard the news early that morning that Shen Lingshuang had fallen ill and were anxiously waiting at home.

Finally, when she came back, Li Lanfang’s heart tightened at the sight of Shen Lingshuang’s pale face.

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“Mom, I’m fine…”

Shen Lingshuang looked at the three tearful pairs of eyes and wanted to comfort them, but illness weighed heavily upon her. She had no strength and did not resist the sickness, soon drifting back into a drowsy sleep.

Half-awake, she recalled the chicken they had caught last night and wanted to ask if Shen Yingxue had eaten any.

At that moment, Afu’s voice echoed in her mind:

[Master, Afu has brought you the special medicine!]

[Special medicine, one pill, exchange cost: 10 blessing points]

[Moreover, Master has triggered the physique upgrade function!]

[Only 600 blessing points are needed to enhance the Master’s constitution, making you as strong as a young ox!]

[However, Master spent 90 points last time exchanging for a raccoon dog, and 60 points last night for ten grouse, leaving a current balance of 410 blessing points]

[After exchanging for the special medicine, 400 points remain]

[To upgrade, you need to accumulate more blessing points!]

Shen Lingshuang was overjoyed.

There was actually a function to upgrade one’s physique?!

Of course, she wanted to redeem it!

The only downside was the high cost.

Shen Lingshuang bargained, “Can’t it be discounted? How about 400 points?”

Afu whimpered: [No, Master.]

Shen Lingshuang didn’t press further but sighed inwardly:

Sure enough, health is wealth!

No discount means no discount.

After taking the medicine, she would endure this round of illness and then find a chance to coax her sister-in-law!

Taking advantage of the empty room, Shen Lingshuang quickly redeemed the medicine and swallowed it in one gulp.

Just as she swallowed, she heard Li Lanfang’s low exclamation outside the window.

“I heard from the neighbors: your family caught one grouse, mine caught one… how come you brought both to our house?”

Gu Xianglin replied, “My dad said he doesn’t like the taste of grouse, so he told me to bring it to your family. I don’t eat much anyway, just want one leg!”

Shen Lingshuang smiled upon hearing this.

At that moment, she heard someone push open the door and quickly closed her eyes, pretending to still be asleep.

The visitor felt her forehead and tucked the blanket around her.

A clear scent of white magnolia wafted from the person—she immediately recognized Song Qiuran.

Soon after, someone else came in.

“Sis-in-law, the scarf is dry, try it on!” It was Shen Yingxue.

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Hearing the word “sis-in-law” from her mouth, Shen Lingshuang felt even happier than if she had eaten grouse meat.

She had been addressed differently!

Her little sister finally, seeing Song Qiuran’s good fortune, agreed to call her sis-in-law!

Even if the motive was not pure and quite purposeful, the plan had succeeded!

One step at a time.

Shen Lingshuang believed her little sister would gradually get along well with Song Qiuran.

By now, Song Qiuran had already put on the scarf and laughed aloud, “Thank you, little sister, this scarf is really pretty!”

“No need to thank me… The raccoon dog was hunted by brother and sister, the scarf was sewn by mom, I just helped dry it…” Shen Yingxue blushed.

Song Qiuran still smiled warmly. “Then you helped too. Thank you, your whole family has been so kind to me!”

“Sis-in-law, please don’t say that…” Shen Yingxue’s voice grew softer.

Song Qiuran pulled her to sit by the kang stove. “Don’t worry about your sister. The clinic doctor said she’s fine, so she must be. But after she recovers, we have to make her exercise! Do broadcast calisthenics!”

On this topic, Song Qiuran asked about Shen Yingxue’s studies.

Among their three siblings, Shen Yingxue’s academic performance was the best.

She was the top student in class and the teachers’ favorite.

In comparison, Shen Lingshuang was much more troublesome.

So when it came to academics, Shen Yingxue was not distressed, but bedridden Shen Lingshuang was.

She turned over, trying to cover her ears with the blanket.

But Song Qiuran, worried she might feel stifled, gently pulled the blanket down and tucked it in again.

Shen Lingshuang was speechless.

Song Qiuran then touched Shen Lingshuang’s forehead and wiped away her fine sweat with her own handkerchief.

Then she changed the subject, asking Shen Yingxue something else.

“Are Gu Xianglin and Lingshuang childhood sweethearts? They seem to get along well.”

Shen Yingxue immediately shook her head. “Sister didn’t know him before; it’s only in recent days that they started interacting.”

Song Qiuran said, “From your tone, it sounds like you don’t like him.”

“He’s the little tyrant from the next village. Who would like him? Many classmates at our school follow him around. I heard he often leads them to fight others!” Shen Yingxue expressed clear disdain.

Song Qiuran raised an eyebrow lightly. “But I heard from some educated youth who went to teach at the middle school that he’s actually quite good academically?”

“Don’t know about that…” Shen Yingxue softened. “But he only studies at the commune’s Jianxin Middle School. Even if his grades are good, they’re not that great, right, sis-in-law?”